THE NEXT BEST THINGThank you. Thank you. Thank you. Your article
“Predator” is splendid [Bruce Rushton, Dec. 8]. To
bring to light the truth of a sexual predator is, in my opinion,
courageous and necessary. If our system can’t, or won’t,
put dangerous sexual predators away then publishing their faces and
crimes and alerting the public is the next best thing. I applaud
you. Donna C. Boggs Springfield

NO SENSE IN TWO LOCATIONS I wanted to thank Fletcher Farrar for his
article on the location of the Salvation Army project
[“Let’s find a better place for the Salvation
Army,” Dec. 1]. He has raised issues that need to be
addressed. As an architect and lifelong resident of Springfield, my
firm had the opportunity to interview for the project. During that
process, we saw the survey that recommended that the facility be
constructed within a mile of their current location. How they ended up out on Walnut Street (1400
J. David Jones Parkway) is only a question that can be answered by
the Salvation Army and their architect, but I have not heard any
compelling reason that would justify that decision. I see firsthand the homeless situation in and
around my office, and it has never been standing in line at the bus
stop. The most recent suggestion of spinning off the homeless
shelter seems to be no more than a proposal to “cutting the
baby in two.” How long will it take for the consolidation to occur due to the financial
constraints of operating at two locations? While rejection to downzone the property in
question is a potential lawsuit waiting to happen, it should be the
responsibility of the city and its residents to hold the Salvation
Army and its board accountable for the long-term impact their
current decisions will have on our city’s future development.
The project will be a benefit only if the owner’s criteria
meet the city’s needs. William L. Prather, A.I.A. Prather Tucker Associates Inc. Springfield

LARGE TURNOUT FOR SYMPOSIUMThanks for helping make this year’s
Illinois History Symposium a success. Though the weather was chilly
and our venues spread out, we established new records for
attendance and served several new populations. Our programs for
schools in Jacksonville and Springfield were attended by more than
250 middle- and high-school students. Our second annual video
history fair on Nov. 30 was attended by more than 200. Our
symposium banquet drew 130 guests and our symposium breakfast more
than 80; both were sellouts. Our first Civil War Round Table
program in many years drew more than 60 people to the Illinois
State Military Museum on Friday evening. The Thursday and Friday day sessions
drew good numbers despite the cold. Our overall registration,
including walk-ins, was around 225. On behalf of the staff and
volunteers at the lllinois State Historical Society, I wish you a
very safe and happy December. William Furry Executive Director Illinois State Historical Society Springfield

COULDN’T HAVE SAID IT BETTERWe seniors hope our government finds a better
way to reduce its obligation to seniors than by eliminating seniors! Donald E. Palmer Springfield

DON’T FILIBUSTER JUDGE ALITOI am strongly urging U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin
and Barack Obama to conduct themselves with integrity when Judge
Samuel Alito’s confirmation hearings begin. If they have
legitimate reason to vote against Judge Alito, we’ll be
waiting to hear their reasons. If there are no legitimate reasons,
then confirm him. But please, no filibuster! Stephanie Raquel Naperville

FOR A FULL AND COMPLETE LIFEIs this all there is? This question
posed, silently, to whomever it is an individual talks or prays to
about personal problems or concerns is both sad and reflective of
our times. It is sad because it reveals a feeling of
emptiness in the life of the individual, that something is missing.
Life is not complete. Is this all there is? Could I have done more
with my life? Should I have taken a different path? Have I always
responded to the needs of others? Is there more I can do now? What?
How? It is reflective of today’s world of
self-centered and immediate gratification. One wonders if more
individuals are not experiencing this nagging question “Is
this all there is? The question is especially meaningful at this
time of the year. Christians throughout the world celebrate the
birth of Jesus Christ. His message to mankind was love your
neighbor as yourself. This admonition is simple, yet so important.
Feed the hungry. Give drink to the thirsty. Clothe the naked.
Shelter the homeless. Visit the sick. Bury the dead. Perform these acts of charity, and there will
no need to ask, “Is this all there is?” Life will be
full and complete. Christmas is a holy day for Christians.
Though Christ’s birthday is observed with religious services,
there are also, during this time, many acts of charity. Those in
need are not forgotten. Sadly, most of the acts of charity
performed during Christmas end after Dec. 25. If only
Christ’s message of love would be practiced every day of
everyone’s life. Perhaps if we Americans thought of one
another more often, our beloved country would once again be America
the beautiful. John D. Kolaz Springfield

WHAT’S IN A NAME?I read with interest your article about
smoking [R.L. Nave, “Up in smoke,” Dec. 1]. I am a
very-high-risk asthma victim. I have COPD [chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease] and chronic bronchitis. I resent the fact I
cannot go anywhere where there is smoke. Actually, it’s discrimination no matter which way you
look at it. I know who some of the arm-twisters are! I won’t name
them: Just read my last name. Smoking is filthy and also disgusting. William M. Kelty Springfield

MAKING RATIONAL CHOICES The prevailing attitude among some smokers as
reported: “I like to smoke. I know it’s not good for
me. It’s a personal choice.” How could you argue with
this? The anti-paternalistic fervor expressed by these smokers is
based on false assumptions. The false assumption is that people
usually make choices that are in their best interest, they do a
good job making choices — and far better than what third
parties could do for them. There is no question that most adults in most
situations make better choices for themselves than others would
make for them, and some public policies do more harm than good.
However, a great deal of evidence suggests that in some contexts
people make errors that lead them not to behave in their own best
interests. Examples range from people borrowing too heavily,
teenagers becoming smokers against their long-run interests, and so
on. So, it is hard to take someone seriously who states that their
addiction is an exercise of free choice. Vast empirical evidence support the fact that
people tend to exhibit present-biased preferences — they
value immediate consumption much more than future consumption in a
way that they themselves disapprove of at every other moment in
their life. In other words, people have self-control problems. Most
who have given in to temptation will recognize the pattern. When
consumption is distant, there is a preference for virtue (healthy
diet or saving more). When consumption is imminent, however,
preferences reverse in the direction of temptation with a feeling
of disappointment. Such inconsistency in human behavior presents a
challenge to the principle of consumer sovereignty, according to
which consumers are the best judges of what is in their interests
and will take it if given a free choice. For example, consider the
fact that 65 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese.
Given the adverse effects obesity has on health, it is hard to
claim that Americans are making ideal diet choices. It is hard to
take someone seriously who states that his or her addiction is an
exercise of free choice. The literature on self-control illustrates
the fact that satisfaction will not always be best achieved by
allowing consumers to choose what they want when they want it.
Sometimes people may be made happiest by being given a restricted
choice set or by having their choices “guided in the right
direction. The policy to ban smoking is a good idea and will help some
quit smoking because of it. Shahram Heshmat Department of Public Health University of Illinois at Springfield